Nyah hosted an eight-race card at Swan Hill on Wednesday night.
Echuca trainer Wayne Lear combined with Shepparton’s Rebecca Bartley to win the first race on Wednesday night's card of trotting presented by the Nyah Harness Racing Club at the Swan Hill Racing Centre.
Lear’s five-year-old Village Jasper/Island Sailor gelding Island Cha Cha opened the program with victory in the Mixx FM Radio C1 Pace over 1609m.
Despite sitting outside leader Sizzling Maxwell from gate two, Island Cha Cha dashed to the front on turning for home to record a strong 2.9m win over hot favourite Arriens, which came through in the sprint lane after trailing the leader to give the Goulburn Valley the quinella.
Sizzling Maxwell tired late to finish third. The mile rate was 2:00.3.
Shepparton father and son, John and Matthew Newberry, combined to land the Burtons Store C1 Pace over 1609m with Kiwi bred Henry Ducket, an 8YO gelded son of Pacific Rocket and Coringa Moon in a mile rate of 1:58.6.
Leading out from gate two, Henry Ducket was rated to perfection, before running out an easy 3.4m victor over Nicmac Bromac, which trailed using the sprint lane to no avail, with In Theory (one-two and three-wide the last lap) third.
Another Shepparton winner was impressive, with Grinfromeartoear/Bluette colt Vikenti for Heath Redwood prevailing in the Academy Graphics 3YO Pace over 2240m.
Driven by Daryl Douglas, Vikenti started inside the second line and received a charmed passage following the pole line pacemaker Strawberry Heart, before rushing home along the sprint lane to record a 4.4m winning over Vivant (three-wide the last lap from three back in the moving line) and Strawberry Heart in a rate of 2:00.2.
Former Charlton girl Ellen Tormey, now based at Junortoun, has an outstanding record in the northern region and has a smart gelding by the name of Sheer Strength, who toyed with his rivals in the Tooleybuc Sporting Club 2YO Pace over 1608m in a rate of 1:59.3.
Raced by breeder Kevin Clark and Ellen’s dad John Tormey, Sheer Strength – a son of Shadow Play and Kateeshar – wasn’t pushed at the start from gate four, gradually creeping forward to cross the leader Shadow Spar at the bell.
Cruising for the rest of the journey, Sheer Strength scored by 9.3m untouched in advance of stablemates Atalanta Jewell (three-back the markers at bell), which moved to face the breeze in the last lap, and Shadow Spar (a nose away in third place).
The 3SH Radio Pace went the way of much-improved 5YO Real Desire/Painted Black mare Desiring Kate trained by Scott Dyer at Junortoun.
Driven by Daryl Douglas, the half-sister to prolific winner Decorated Jasper settled with most of the field ahead of her from the extreme draw, with Shayne Cramp’s Look Down Charlie (gate seven) crossing Mind The Wire (gate two) shortly after the start.
Moving three-wide racing for the bell on the back of Our Bedrock, Desiring Kate, although four-wide approaching the home turn, sprinted like a gazelle to surge away on turning to score by 1.9m from Mind The Wire, which eased away from the inside on straightening. Look Down Charlie battled on to finish third. The mile rate 1:58.6.
Narrandara trainer/driver Blake Jones loves competing in Victoria and Four Starzzz Shark/Lombo Heart Beat 3YO gelding Bryce Cooper made a one-act affair of the Swan Hill Buslines C0 Pace over 1609m.
Burning out of gate four to lead, Bryce Cooper never left second gear and, when given his head on turning, raced away to record a 7.5m victory (last half 58.1 – quarter 28) in a rate of 2:00 over Oltime Rocka Lombo, which trailed, and a death-seating Modern Tango in third.
The local supporters had to wait until race seven – the Tooleybuc Sporting Club C2 and C3 Pace over the mile to cheer home a winner, with Woorinen trainer Vince Costa’s in-form Dream Away/Royal Beach Girl 4YO gelding Beachstar chalking up his fourth victory in 26 outings.
Driven as usual by Ararat’s Michael Bellman, Beachstar (gate two on the second line) began fast to possie three back in the running line, with Cyclone Mach leading from the pole.
Following Sutter Man (one-one – three-wide home turn) into the final bend, Beach Star, when eased four-wide in the straight, motored home to score a runaway 4.1m victory over Sutter Man and Superstar Express in the fastest mile rate of the night, a slick 1:57.1.
The fast class event, the Nyah Post Office Pace for C6 or better class over 2240m, was taken out by Kerryn Manning’s New Zealand bred 4YO American Ideal/Armbro Ice gelding Gotta Go Yankee, who stamped his authority in a mile rate of 2:00.7.
Sliding past Joe Costa’s Life Of Ted inside him shortly after the start, Gotta Go Yankee was allowed to dictate his own terms in a moderate tempo until the bell when the Mildura Cup winner Im Blue Double Dee moved from last to race in the open.
Sprinting home in a sizzling 55.8 for the last half-mile (quarter 27.2), Gotta Go Yankee seemingly nosing out Life Of Ted along the sprint lane in a tricky finish, with Kennedy Creek coming from last to finish third.
However, at the end of a lengthy 55-minute delay after the last race, stewards amended the result to a dead-heat.
